THE COST OF BEEHIVE REMOVAL AND OTHER SERVICES

Once the calendar hits the month of March, it is officially bee season and with that comes the necessity of bee and beehive removals. There are a number of ways in which bees and other insects can be dealt with as the weather becomes warmer and these creatures become more prevalent.

On average, a standard bee treatment will cost $354 based on a study around the country with full removals costing north of $2,000 on the high end depending on the hive’s location or other extenuating factors. However, the typical range for a standard beehive removal will be between $315-$587 depending on the size of both the swarm and the hive.

There are a number of factors that can go into the pricing of each service from identifying what type of bee or insect it is, how long the hive has been there, and what construction, if any, will be necessary.

These estimated ranges give a general idea of how much each method of removal may cost, but it is still best to talk to a bee specialist about your specific situation.

With Home & Hive, prices will vary depending on the circumstances and the service needed, but a free bee removal estimate will always be offered prior to starting any work.

BEE REPELLENT

The most cost-efficient and quickest way to rid a hive of bees is by using Home & Hive’s proprietary bee repellent. With this method, the hive will not have to be exterminated nor will there have to be drastic construction done to the surrounding area.

The repellent will simply be applied at the entrance to the beehive and is guaranteed to force the bees to swarm away within 48-hours. This method is ideal for areas that either cannot be easily opened, or for homeowners who would prefer to not have any construction involved in the removal process.

This method of bee removal will on average cost between $300-600.

SWARM REMOVAL

Once the spring season comes around, the queen of a hive will decide it is time to relocate and take a portion of the current colony to find a new home. The bees will cluster in a new area to rest as they try to locate a permanent place for a new home.

The swarms can be found in places such as benches, light poles, sides of houses, fire hydrants, park swings, tree branches and any other outdoor solid structure they can find to rest.

It will be easy to spot these swarms as it will be a large mass of bees clustered around the queen. Swarms are often hanging in a ball shape from a tree or other structure. The key differentiator between a swarm and a hive is that there is no honeycomb involved with a swarm. It is simply thousands of bees clinging onto each other as they rest.

When the swarm is removed, the bees will never be exterminated. We always relocate them to one of our permanent hives on our bee farm.

When it comes to the average cost of swarm removal, it will usually cost between $150-300. Since the bees have not yet colonized, swarms are typically easier to remove than an already established hive, hence the lower price for removal.

FULL HIVE REMOVAL

When it comes to a full hive removal, the process is a bit more complicated than just repelling bees or collecting a swarm.

In order to remove the full hive, the structure in which the hive is located must be carefully disassembled. The entire beehive is then removed and relocated to a safer location at a bee farm. A primer is then used to mask the scent of the original hive so as to not attract any more bees who might try to repopulate the area. If possible the area is also filled with insulation so as to not leave a cavity that would potentially be a new home for another swarm.

Once the hive is removed and relocated properly, the structure will then be put back together to leave little to no visible changes from the initial structure. Any openings the bees were using as entrances must also be well sealed. If this is not done properly a new hive could move into the area shortly after the initial removal.

Honeybees, are not your typical pest to remove simply because of the type of hive they create, the honey they store, and the amount of bees that live in a typical hive. Some colonies can house up to 50,000 bees. Bees also make their hives in many different structures, but the most common is the soffit, wall, or joist space of a house. In most cases this type of removal will cost between $1,000-2,000.

OTHER STINGING INSECT REMOVAL

Not only does the turn of the weather introduce bee season, but also the resurgence of other stinging insects such as Yellow Jackets, Ground Hornets, Paper Wasp, Mud Dauber and other wasp-like insects.

There are also other kinds of bees that can require removal such as Carpenter Bees, Bumblebees and even Africanized “Killer” Honeybees.

Carpenter bees can create issues with buildings and especially houses because of their nature to burrow into wood. These bees are rarer than most but must be treated as soon as possible due their destructive tendencies to wood.

Just as Carpenter bees, the “Killer” bees can be extremely dangerous but in a different way. These bees are naturally aggressive and can be provoked very easily if disturbed. They have been known to chase people and animals for up to a quarter mile if provoked.

For each of these removals, some of the starting prices can start as low as $200 depending on the location and size of the hives but can have costs go up into the thousands as each hive and species of bee has to be handled differently from situation to situation.

For example, Yellowjacket removal will cost more because they tend to nest in harder to reach places than an average hornet. Yellowjacket removal will on average cost around $500-$750 depending on the location and size of the nest.

However, an average hornet removal will only cost $300-$400 because of their location being easier to reach as well as their less aggressive nature.

Paper Wasp as well will be less expensive around $100-300 since they are generally not as aggressive. The can, for all intents and purposes, usually be left alone unless they are in a highly trafficked area or very numerous.